1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector for connecting such as electric wires and a connector unit having the connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various electric components are mounted on a vehicle. A wiring harness is arranged on the vehicle for supplying electricity and signals from a controller to the electric components. The wiring harness includes electric wires and a connector. The wire includes an electrically conductive core wire and a coating made of insulating synthetic resin, which coats the core wire. The wire is a so-called coated wire.
A connector connected to an air bag includes an insulating connector housing, a terminal fitting received in the connector housing and connected to a gas generator of the air bag, a terminal fitting received in the connector housing and grounded, and a short-circuit terminal for connecting the terminal fittings.
The terminal fitting is connected to the gas generator and a ground through the wires. The short-circuit terminal release the connection between the terminal fittings when the connector is connected to the mating connector, and connects the terminal fittings when the connection between the connectors is canceled.
The short-circuit terminal includes a main body received in the connector housing, and a resilient contact piece of which one end is continued to the main body and extended to the mating connector, and of which the other end is a free end. The resilient contact piece is formed in a band shape, and resiliently contacts the terminal fitting. The resilient contact pieces are parallel to each other. Therefore, the main body, namely, the short-circuit terminal is positioned not between the two terminal fittings, but on a place overlapping with the two terminal fittings.
In the connector, for preventing a malfunction of the gas generator by static electricity when the mating connector is detached at a maintenance of the air bag, the short-circuit terminal connects the two terminal fittings. When the connector is connected to the mating connector, a projection or the like stands between the resilient contact piece and the terminal fitting to cancel the connection between the two terminal fittings.
As described the above, one end of the resilient contact piece of the short-circuit terminal used for the conventional connector is continued to the main body, and extended toward the mating connector. The other end of the resilient contact piece is a free end formed in a band shape. Therefore, there is a fear that when the resilient contact piece is engaged with the mating connector, a projection of the mating connector may bend the other end of the resilient contact piece. If the resilient contact piece is bent in a manner to project toward the terminal fitting, the shot-circuit terminal keeps the terminal fittings short-circuited even when the resilient contact piece is connected to the mating connector.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector that allows to surely cancel a connection between the short-circuit terminal and the terminal fitting when the resilient contact piece is connected to the mating connector.